Category Archives: Psalms

Day 228: A Conundrum

Psalm 89, 102; Romans 10

Yesterday, in Romans 9, Paul taught that God predestines some people to be saved.

Today, in Romans 10, Paul teaches that God longs for ALL people to be saved (10:21) – AND saving faith comes through hearing the gospel (10:17)!

Even though these teachings seem to contradict one another, the Bible emphatically teaches both. We can’t say that God couldn’t have predestined some to be saved because He wants all to be saved. That argument goes against what the Bible teaches. And similarly, we can’t say that it doesn’t matter if we share the gospel because He has already determined who will be saved – or that God doesn’t desire all people to be saved just because He has only predestined some.

Somehow, Romans 9 AND Romans 10 are both true. And mysteriously, God has involved us in the blessing of “speaking” the gospel so that others will “hear” the gospel and be saved. Reconciling Romans 9 &10 is another area where our human perspective limits our understanding!

The Israelites also experienced a conundrum. As you read Psalm 89, the people were trying to reconcile God’s covenant promises with their dire circumstances of invasion and destruction. You can imagine their confusion! God had promised to establish David’s throne FOREVER. Solomon built God a house that was supposed to last FOREVER, Listen as they recounted God’s promise:

I will not violate my covenant
or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
Once for all I have sworn by my holiness;
I will not lie to David.
His offspring shall endure forever,
his throne as long as the sun before me.
Like the moon it shall be established forever,
a faithful witness in the skies” (Psalm 89:34-37).

The irony is thick as the people turn to describe their circumstances.

But now you have cast off and rejected;
you are full of wrath against your anointed.
You have renounced the covenant with your servant;
you have defiled his crown in the dust.
You have breached all his walls;
you have laid his strongholds in ruins (Psalm 89:38-40).

The people could not reconcile the truth of God’s covenant promise with the truth of Jerusalem’s destruction. Their limited perspective couldn’t possibly imagine how God would keep his promise. That God had not cast off or rejected them, that David’s crown was not defiled in the dust. It was impossible for them to look forward in history to see God establish His Kingdom with His only Son at the helm. Their only choice was to trust in God’s word and character in the midst of their conflicting circumstances.

When we are faced with what seems like conflicting information… When it is hard to reconcile God’s truths with our reality, we must give God the benefit of the doubt. Surely He knows something we don’t and surely we can trust that He knows what He is doing…. even if we don’t always fully understand. His word assures us that His will is always done – for His glory and for our good!

Day 227: Predestination

Psalm 79, 80, 85; Romans 9

Warning… If you have difficulty with the doctrine of predestination, you might want to skip Romans 9!

Paul makes a pretty convincing case for predestination. Paul argues that human will has no influence over salvation, only God’s mercy. Paul even goes so far to give examples of God hardening hearts so that they can’t be saved. This is a difficult teaching, but Paul is clear.

After Paul presents his position, he even acknowledges the problem that many struggle with… ““Why does [God] still find fault? For who can resist his will?” (9:19).

Interestingly, Paul offers no explanation for this “problem.” This is his answer:

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? (Romans 9:20).

To paraphrase Paul, “God can do what he wants, so get over it.” Here is a summary of Paul’s teaching:

  • We are responsible for our sin, and if we die apart from Christ, it is our own fault for disbelieving, and we will suffer eternal torment (Rom 1:20).
  • God has chosen “before the creation of the world” (Eph 1:4) whom He will save. He chose his children before anyone was even born, so it is illogical to think we can do anything to earn salvation (9:11). It is based on God’s mercy alone, and His children will reap an eternity of bliss which they do not deserve (9:16).

This teaching is a stumbling block to many, but personally, I love it! Not being able to explain predestination in human terms makes me wonder at the transcendence of God. And knowing that I have done absolutely nothing to earn my salvation assures me that I can do absolutely nothing to lose it. If I know that God saved me by His mercy, then I can trust that He will keep me by His mercy. I’m free from the burden of performance. I can rest.

Salvation has always come through faith that is revealed in a humble seeking of God… not through the prideful assumption that one could earn righteousness by observing the law perfectly (9:32). The Psalms in today’s readings are examples of turning back to God from a place of brokenness. They show the humble faith of a sinful people…This is what God desires!

Rest in the mercy of God. Trust in his goodness that is revealed in the saving work of Christ!

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Psalm 145:8).

Day 226: A purpose for suffering

Psalm 44, 74 ; Romans 8:18-39

Even though the Chronicler quickly summarized the fall of Judah, we know from our readings in 2 Kings and Jeremiah the horror of the Babylonian invasion. The people endured great suffering during the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile.

For the next 4 days, we will devote our Old Testament readings to the Psalms of lament. Some alluded to the destruction of Jerusalem and some did not – but all of them looked to God for rescue in the midst of great suffering.

But you have rejected us and disgraced us
and have not gone out with our armies.
You have made us turn back from the foe,
and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
You have made us like sheep for slaughter
and have scattered us among the nations (Psalm 44:9-11).

Many times during suffering we feel as if God has rejected us – as if he has abandoned us. But Romans 8 paints a different picture. Paul reminds us that our present-day suffering is nothing compared to the glory that will one day be ours in Christ. And that our sufferings help us to identify more intimately with Jesus.

It is in this context that Paul gives a most comforting promise…

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

The “good” that Paul is speaking of is not prosperity in the world’s eyes, but rather, “to be conformed into the image of his Son” (8:29).

So when we are in the midst of suffering, we must not think that God has abandoned us. But we can choose to find hope in the fact that there is purpose for our pain – to mold us more into the likeness of Jesus! And the glory of heaven that awaits us will make our sufferings seem trite in the end!

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39).

Day 122: A King’s Prayer

2 Samuel 21-22; Psalm 18

Psalm 18 is adapted from David’s personal prayer recorded in 2 Samuel 22. Therefore, the two chapters are almost identical.

David’s prayer reveals both a deep personal relationship with God as well as an understanding of God’s character and ways. It is encouraging to note that despite David’s great sin, his repentance and dependence on God have kept him close to the Almighty.

God is merciful and will accept the penitent sinner who calls on Him in faith…just as He accepted David.

David understood that the Kingship was an undeserved gift of God. He was absolutely dependent on God for deliverance from his enemies, and he gave God all the credit for his victories…

The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—
the God who gave me vengeance
and subdued peoples under me,
who delivered me from my enemies;
yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
you rescued me from the man of violence.
For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and sing to your name.
Great salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever (Psalm 18:46-50).

David knew that he experienced all of life directly from the hand of God. We are no different. We also must depend on God for all of our earthly successes – and for the will to persevere through our failures. Ultimately, we should cry out with David…

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies (Psalm 18:1-3).

Day 120: Our only hope

2 Samuel 17-18; Psalm 63

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you (Psalm 63:1)

There are times in life when it is so hard and the pain is so overwhelming, that God is the only sure hope in your life. When David wrote Psalm 63, he needed relief from the relentlessness of his circumstances. Many scholars believe he wrote this Psalm in the midst of fleeing from Absalom. Whether or not this is the case, Psalm 63 depicts a desperateness that would have characterized David during this time in his life.

These chapters in 2 Samuel illustrate God’s gracious provision for David. David was so broken that he truly did not have the means to help himself. God provided a spy network of faithful allies to warn David of Absalom’s plans. And God strengthened David’s army’s resolve to protect him from being killed in battle. Even Joab, David’s commander, understood better than David, the threat that Absalom posed and killed Absalom in spite of David’s fatherly wishes.

Do you see David’s complete brokenness? I sense that he knows that his sin has caused all of this turmoil – and the weight of the burden has become too much. David’s grief at the end of Chapter 18 is magnified by the unresolved nature of his relationship with Absalom. David had no chance to make things right with his son. The regret is all-consuming.

Even in such dark and difficult circumstances, we have a hope to which we can cling. David knew this Hope and I believe this Hope carried him through his darkest nights.

…when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me (Psalm 63:6-8).

Day 119: No escape

2 Samuel 15-16; Psalm 3

Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’” (2 Samuel 12:9-12)

David has become a broken man. He is broken by his own sin and the turmoil of his family. He is broken by the treachery of his son, Absalom. His brokenness has made him tired, and he doesn’t fight against his circumstances but accepts them from God’s hand.

I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around (Psalm 3:5-6).

At the end of today’s reading, we see Nathan’s prophesy fulfilled as Absalom sets up a tent on the roof of David’s house and sleeps with David’s concubines. You never know… it might have been the same roof from which David saw Bathsheba and lusted in his heart…

What do we learn from these chapters?

In spite of our sin, God is gracious. God does not take the kingship away from David and continues to work on his behalf. And as I mentioned yesterday – God even chooses Solomon, the son of Bathsheba, to succeed David as King.

But. David can not escape from the consequences of his sin. These consequences are severe and it is hard to read about the mighty David being so defeated by the far-reaching effects of his sin.

Sin is serious. Deadly serious, in fact. We need to be rescued from its grasp. We need Jesus.

Day 117: Sin, Repentance and Grace

2 Samuel 10-12; Psalm 51

Chapter 10 begins the war against the Ammonites. And nestled in this story of war… is David’s great sin.

It is obvious from 11:1 that David was lounging at home when he should have been at war with Joab (the commander of his army). Verse 2 even begins, “David arose from his couch…” This is a very different David than the one that was fleeing from Saul and scrounging for food with his vagabond army in the wilderness. David has grown accustomed to leisure and luxury. Not only has he become lazy physically, but the ease of his life has lulled him to sleep spiritually as well.

This is the only explanation for how David, a man after God’s own heart, could have slipped so far away from God’s ways that he would covet, commit adultery – and then cover it all up with murder.

When Nathan confronts David with his gross sin, David repents. Psalm 51 is David’s cry for mercy…

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight (Psalm 51:3-4).

God is gracious to David, and spares his life. But there will be consequences. Horrible consequences that we will read over the next few days.

Mysteriously, God brings good out of the ashes… through Solomon – son of Bathsheba and in the family line of Christ – he will be the King of Israel at its height!

Day 116: The glory days!

2 Samuel 7-9; Psalm 60

The Davidic Covenant. It is the promise that God will establish David’s throne forever. It does not replace the Abrahamic covenant – but only clarifies it!

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. …I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever (2 Samuel 7:8-10; 12-13; 16).

David’s response to God’s promises was overwhelming gratitude. David’s prayer recorded in the last half of Chapter 7 is a model of humility and praise. And then we read of the glory of David’s reign…. Chapter 8 chronicles his victories in battle (and we surmise from Psalm 60 that David never presumed upon the Lord’s blessing – but stayed humble and dependent on His help). Chapter 9 describes his respect for Saul’s house as he treats Jonathan’s son as his own.

This is the epitome of godly leadership. David’s attributes of complete dependence on God plus true humility somehow combine to create a fierce warrior and a just leader. His person has been remarkable so far, but, unfortunately, we are about to see a sad turn in David.

Remember how God used the crucible of hardship to mold David’s character? Now that David is enjoying the benefits of blessing, he will be tempted to fall – and fall he does. But we’ll talk about that tomorrow!

Day 110: A purpose for pain

1 Samuel 23-24; Psalm 54; Luke 17:1-19

Humility and Gratitude. They are the key to persevering through hardship. If we humbly consider ourselves unworthy servants, as Jesus teaches in Luke 17:7-10, we will be doubly grateful for any blessing that God gives. A perfect example of this principle is the story of the 10 lepers recorded in Luke 17:11-19. Jesus healed 10 lepers, but only one returned to thank him… and he was a Samaritan. Samaritans were traditionally despised by the Jews. Because of his humble position, the Samaritan was more grateful for Jesus’ gracious healing. Humility multiplies Gratitude.

We see these characteristics in David in today’s reading from 1 Samuel. David had a chance to kill Saul, but his reverence for God would not allow him to strike the Lord’s anointed king. If I were in David’s shoes, I would have reveled in the chance to kill Saul!  But we don’t see this prideful response in David. On the contrary, we see him humble himself before Saul and submit to the will of God.

Both David and the leprous Samaritan lived in treacherous circumstances. But God used their suffering to humble each man and bring about godly character. God’s ways are mysterious, but they are always good. When our lives take a hard turn, it is tempting to shake our fists in anger at God for allowing hardship into our lives. But we should trust that God has a purpose for our pain…to break down our self-reliance so that we might walk more closely with the Savior and to mold us more into the likeness of Jesus. As we allow God to humble us through our circumstances, David’s words in Psalm 54 become our anthem…

Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life (Psalm 54:4).

Day 109: The righteous will prosper…eventually!

1 Samuel 22:6-23; Psalm 52; Luke 16

As David is scrounging to survive in caves, Saul and the wretched Doeg are prospering in the king’s palace. The unfairness to David is infuriating.

But God is good. He is sovereign and has a plan for David’s life on earth, so that David might prosper for eternity in heaven. Hardship, suffering and pain in this life are tools the Father uses to shape us. We should count it a privilege to suffer for his sake – especially if God works through the pain to mold us more into his righteousness.

Lazarus’ story in Luke 16 should be an encouragement to the suffering on earth. Lazarus was a poor beggar who longed for even a scrap from the rich man’s table – but in death, their roles were reversed. The rich man was in eternal torment, and Lazarus was feasting at the side of Abraham.

David understands that God will make all things right in the end. Even as he mourns the death of Ahimelech and his priests, he knows that Doeg and Saul will ultimately have to answer to God for their actions…

But God will break you down forever;
he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.

The righteous shall see and fear,
and shall laugh at him, saying,
“See the man who would not make
God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches
and sought refuge in his own destruction!”

But I am like a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
in the presence of the godly (Psalm 52:5-9).

How can David write that he is “like a green olive tree” when he is starving and homeless? His faith in his God gives him an eternal perspective – and this truth sustains him through the suffering. We must cling to God’s word during suffering. His truth will see us through!